"The way to have good soldiers is to treat them rightly...A private soldier has as much right to justice as a major general."
President Abraham Lincoln"I can think of no more fitting expression of this country's appreciation for the sacrifices of our young servicemen than to grant them the same rights they are defending."
Senator Sam J. ErvinJAG Hunter bullet: Military magistrates have carefully avoided pre-trial disclosure of the government's case by convening a Special court-martial (SPCM). Article 32 hearings are commanded by Congress only as preliminary to General courts-martial (GCM).
"Specialist Sivits will be tried in a somewhat streamlined proceeding known as a special court-martial, as opposed to a general court-martial."
Bush Shown Iraq Abuse Photos, Again Backs Rumsfeld
"The president's reaction was one of deep disgust and disbelief that anyone who wears our uniform would engage in such shameful and appalling acts. It does not represent our United States military and it does not represent the United States of America..."
Rumsfeld Criticized by Influential Military Paper
"This was not just a failure of leadership at the local command level..."
Sgt. Hasan Akbar update: Court-martial docketed for 12 July
"Akbar is charged with two counts of premeditated murder and three counts of attempted premeditated murder for the March 23, 2003, attack in Kuwait on a group of fellow 101st Airborne Division soldiers and others."
Army Times editorial
"Around the halls of the Pentagon, a term of caustic derision has emerged for the enlisted soldiers at the heart of the furor over the Abu Ghraib prison scandal: the six morons who lost the war."
Keep quiet on the Western Front - Chapter II...This is as public as it gets, "as accessible as possible" for military trials...
"It has not been our practice in the past to have cameras inside," Kimmitt said.
JAG Hunter bullet: A pattern of abuse...
"We were dealing here with a broad pattern, not individual acts. There was a pattern and a system," he said, declining to give further details."
JAG Hunter bullet: Concur! JAGs are too powerful and out of reach of the Rule of Law. Every soldier facing courts-martial now for the emerging prisoner abuse scandal has a JAG to thank for authoring, approving, and implementing the list of interrogation tactics.
"Note that we have already harmed our soldiers by putting outrageous power in the hands of military lawyers. In one case, during the war in Afghanistan, one of our attack drones had drawn a bead on Taliban leader Mullah Omar, but a military lady lawyer forbade the generals from doing their job. As a result, Mullah Omar is still alive and well somewhere in Afghanistan..."
JAG Hunter bullet: The flag officers and DoD civilians running U.S. military trials are the same flag officers and U.S. DoD civilians running military prisons.
"Justice will be served. We have the finest military justice system in the world and we can be confident that it will punish the guilty and exonerate the innocent."
JAG Hunter bullet: Information Warfare Keep quiet on the Western Front...
WASHINGTON - "The Defense Department is planning to provide Congress with many more pictures of the abusive treatment of Iraqi detainees, but has not decided whether to release them to the public, congressional leaders..."
GIs ill-prepared, overwhelmed
"Abu Ghraib Prison, the setting for abuse against Iraqi prisoners, was ripe for trouble. Novice military police, an unending crush of detainees, sagging morale, attacks from insurgents and command changes shaped the outcome."
JAG Hunter bullet: Pentagon JAGs approved and caused to implement those interrogation tactics now ablaze in the press
In a written statement, the center's commanding officer, Maj. Gen. James A. Marks, said the prisoner abuse allegations in Iraq are inconsistent with Army training. "We do not train, condone nor accept this type of behavior,'' he said.
Interview of USMC Maj. Michael Mori: Apostate JAG
"But Major Michael Mori says he's concerned about the possibility that such [interrogation] techniques could be used to manipulate or fabricate evidence against alleged Taliban fighters.
JAG Hunter bullet: This is a show trial. And military governors will continue to hide as much as humanly possible.
"It is not our intention to hide anything," Brigadier General Mark Kimmitt told a news conference, though he has insisted there would be no "show trial."
Captain Yee update...
"His lawyer has said that Yee received orders since his return to duty at Fort Lewis restricting what he may say publicly."
Bedford MP faces May 19 trial on Iraq prison abuse
"[Spc.] Sivits, a trained mechanic serving as a military policeman, is accused of photographing the abuse of Iraqi prisoners. He is charged with conspiracy to maltreat subordinates and detainees, dereliction of duty for negligently failing to protect detainees from abuse, and cruelty and maltreatment of detainees..."
`Torture lite' authorized for use at Guantanamo Bay
"We wanted to find a legal way to jack up the pressure," one lawyer and drafter of the guidelines told [The Washington Post] on the condition of anonymity. "We wanted a little more freedom than in a US prison, but not torture."
Concern over Guantanamo interrogation techniques
The Washington Post quotes a lawyer who helped draw up the guidelines in April last year as saying "we wanted to find a legal way to jack up the pressure... a little more freedom than in a US prison, but not torture."
Top brass 'picked man who ordered torture'
"Unreleased images from Baghdad are reported to show:..."
Hackworth exposed abuse scandal
"One irony of the way the story came to light: Lawson first tried to bring attention to the scandal by writing to 17 members of Congress, but, he told the New York Times, he got virtually no response."
JAG Hunter bullet: A country is measured, most accurately, by the way it treats its soldiers and sailors Sen. McCain. If we'd been taking care of the Troops, this nightmare could have been foreseen, and prevented early on.
"McCain: I respond by saying America's greatness is defined by the treatment of our enemies."
CHAIN OF COMMAND
“Where were the flag officers? And I’m not just talking about a one-star,” he added, referring to Brigadier General Janis Karpinski, the commander at Abu Ghraib who was relieved of duty. “This was a huge leadership failure.”
JAG Hunter bullet: The flag officers (think generals) and DoD civilians who run U.S. military prisons are the same flag officers and DoD civilians who run U.S. military trials
JAG Hunter bullet: Gen. Kimmitt - Holding a court-martial in Baghdad does not open the hearing to the American public. Send this trial back to the states! American soldiers deserve to be tried on U.S. soil...right hear... in the homeland!!
"Court martials are open to the public," [Bgen. Mark Kimmitt] said. "It's our desire to make the upcoming courts martial as accessible as possible," he said.
Court-martial set in Iraqi prison scandal
"Sivits, who was charged on Wednesday, will face a bad conduct discharge, Kimmitt said, and the court-martial will take place at coalition headquarters in Baghdad."
Gee kids...maybe when you grow up you can be a JAG...
"This year's Law Day theme was to win equality by the law..."
A secret list
"The Washington Post, which reported on a secret list of 20 approved techniques, said some had to be agreed to by embattled Defence Secretary Donald Rumsfeld - the first evidence that aggressive interrogations had been approved all the way to the top of the Pentagon."
PRISONER ABUSE REVIEWED AND APPROVED BY JAGs!! Shooting dead men in front of detainees scrubbed from list of approved interrogation tactics.
"The guidelines were the product of three months of discussion between military lawyers, medical personnel and psychologists, and followed several incidents of abuse of prisoners at Guantanamo."
JAG Hunter bullet: How much of this information was gleaned from the Art. 32 hearing of Army Spc. Jeremy Sivits?
"Some of the deaths of prisoners in U.S. custody in Iraq and Afghanistan have been ruled homicides. Others were attributed to natural causes. Many of the case are unexplained."
JAG Hunter bullet: Whadda say we start with the generals when it comes to courts-martial?
Kourt-martial in 10 days
The Army trained Spc. Sivits as a truck mechanic, not as a prison guard, his father, Daniel, said. He said his son "was just doing what he was told to do."
JAG Hunter bullet: When was the Art. 32 hearing? Was it announced...held in public? The names of the JAGs involved? Does this 24-year old soldier have access to attorneys in the U.S. to assist in his defense? The name of the convening authority?
"Jeremy Sivits of Pennsylvania, a member of the 372nd Military Police Company, would stand trial in Baghdad on May 19, according to Brigadier General Mark Kimmitt."
A year of warnings
"...the reality of what was going on inside the largest prison complex at Abu Ghraib and the smaller camps scattered around the country were well-guarded secrets."
JAG Hunter bullet: The people who run U.S. military prisons are the same people who run U.S. military trials
Pentagon OK'd Harsh Prison Techniques at Guantanamo
"The techniques were approved in April 2003 and require approval from senior Pentagon officials and in some cases Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld, the paper reported on its Web site, citing unnamed defense officials."
Rice Says She and Bush 'Strongly' Support Rumsfeld
Vice President Dick Cheney said through his spokesman, Kevin Kellems, that "Don Rumsfeld is the best secretary of defense the United States has ever had. People ought to let him do his job."
Weekly address
"The president's description of the extent of wrongdoing conflicted with an International Committee of the Red Cross report that mistreatment, sometimes close to torture, was rife and may have been condoned by U.S. forces."
JAG Hunter bullet: The people who run U.S. military prisons are the same people who run U.S. military trials
General Told MPs to `soften Up' Prisoners
[SECDEF] Rumsfeld said authority over the guards had "shifted over a period of time."
JAG Hunter bullet: The military's punitive justice system is run by the commanders...make no mistake. A vacuum exists where judicial (not to mention civilian) oversight otherwise constrains. The motion to dismiss was prompted by the appearance of unlawful command influence. Kourt-martial is set for 7 June.
Supreme Court - RUMSFELD V. PADILLA
"Q. Would you shoot him when he got off the plane?"
Marine sentenced in flashing case
"Cpl. James J. DeAngelis, 36, assigned to 3rd Marine Division’s Combat Assault Battalion, Headquarters and Service Company, was sentenced to five months in prison, suspended for three years, for exposing himself to Japanese teenage girls twice..."
SECDEF Rumsfeld warns that worse images of prison abuse still to come
Female Soldier Charged in Iraqi Abuse Case
FORT BRAGG, N.C. (AP) - "Army Reserve Pfc. Lynndie England, shown in photographs smiling and pointing at naked Iraqi prisoners, was charged Friday..."
Rumsfeld's contrition goes a long way
[Defense Secretary] Rumsfeld lacked a clear response to this issue. He acknowledged to Sen. Susan Collins, R-Maine, that he needed to figure out how to learn "when something is radioactive" so it can be discussed at high levels."
Abu Ghraib prison to remain open
"The new head of Iraq prisons, Gen Geoffrey Miller, has said the US will continue to use Abu Ghraib jail, despite the abuse scandal there."
Details about deaths of prisoners in U.S. custody in Iraq, Afghanistan
"Some of the deaths of prisoners in U.S. custody in Iraq and Afghanistan have been ruled homicides. Others were attributed to natural causes. Many of the case are unexplained."
In Abuse, a Picture of G.I.'s Ill Prepared and Overwhelmed
"You're a person who works at McDonald's one day; the next day you're standing in front of hundreds of prisoners, and half are saying they're sick and half are saying they're hungry," remembered Sgt. First Class Paul Shaffer...
On active duty at the time of the alleged murder
"The 5-month-old child died of suffocation while in his father's care in New London and initially his death was ruled an accident. Beekman was stationed at the U.S. Naval Submarine Base at the time."
Airman sentenced after 10 years
"An Air Force airman who walked out on a court-martial more than 10 years ago, surrendered to authorities and was sentenced on Guam last month."
18,000 criminal investigations...3,000 courts-martial (on top of cases handled at NJP) in the past year...
"[This] is going to get a good deal more terrible, I'm afraid, because there are still more photographs" to come out...
Coast Guard collision at sea...handled at "Admiral's Mast" (NJP)
"The hearing found that McBrady on March 25 improperly put his crew and vessel into hazard while navigating, violating a portion of the Uniform Code of Military Justice. That resulted in a collision with the 1,000-foot-long Stewart J. Cort."
Marine faces theft, desertion charges
CARLSBAD – "A man accused of deserting from the Marines was arrested early yesterday after police said he led them on a chase in a stolen car."
Two soldiers say abuse is exception
"...Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld apologized for the abuse and said he might step down if his resignation would help the military's reputation.
3,000 courts-martial in the past 12 months!
"...when he was pressed on why he had not kept track of the case, Mr. Rumsfeld offered the astonishing argument that he could not have been expected to find this one case among the pile of 3,000 courts-martial initiated in the last year."
Excerpts
Commentary
"As for the Leftmedia's enthusiastic efforts to give this story legs -- with no regard for its impact on Coalition efforts to advance Iraqi freedom -- it is typically unconscionable."
Court-Martial charges against PFC England over Iraqi prisoner abuse
"The military is pressing court-martial charges against Private First Class Lynndie England in the Iraqi prisoner abuse case."
JAG Hunter bullet: Huh? Anyone happen to see the SOUTHCOM press release on this 2003 out of country, secret court-martial?
"In a third case, an Army Reserve staff sergeant requested a court-martial after being offered nonjudicial punishment for failing to obey a lawful order regarding the use of pepper spray. He was acquitted."
On the advice and counsel of JAGs
"I wish I had been able to convey the gravity of this matter before we saw it in the media," said Rumsfeld, who maintains he was hamstrung by a military criminal probe that began in mid-January and the need to preserve the rights of the accused.
JAG Hunter bullet: It's SOP for military PAO's to release bad news late on Friday afternoons. The timing of this press release is consistent
"Release Number: 04-01-43
"FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
"DETAINEE TREATMENT INVESTIGATION BAGHDAD..."
Inside the Ring
"Army Brig. Gen. Janis Karpinski has been doing the talk show circuit, denying any knowledge of the subhuman treatment and blaming it on another Army branch, military intelligence."
Local officer facing prosecution can't be found
"The Fremont military commander accused of taking nude pictures of female soldiers in a shower at Abu Ghraib prison in Iraq was ordered back to Fort Lewis..."
Army Captain Capt. Leo V. Merck ordered back to Fort Lewis, WA. to face charges
WALNUT CREEK, Calif. -- "A former National Guard commander accused of photographing naked female U.S. soldiers as they showered at Iraq's Abu Ghraib prison faces legal proceedings, officials said."
Man charged with sex offenses involving minor
"A Camp Lejeune Marine warrant officer was arrested Wednesday evening on several charges of sexual offense with a minor."
Guantanamo prisoner abuse cases called mild
"The staff sergeant contested the administrative punishment procedures, saying he felt the lives of his troops were at risk during the incident, and opted for a court-martial that found him not guilty..."
JAG Hunter bullet: The people who run U.S. military trials are the same people who run U.S. military prisons
Rumsfeld apologizes, seeks commission review of Iraqi prisoner abuses
"These events occurred on my watch. As Secretary of Defense, I am accountable for them. I take full responsibility," Rumsfeld told the Senate Armed Services Committee."
1st AD soldier charged in fatal club stabbing
"The U.S. military has charged a 1st AD soldier with murder in the April 18 stabbing of a man inside the Euro Palace nightclub in Mainz-Kastel, Germany."
TERROR WAR: SOUTH FRONT
U.S. NAVAL BASE GUANTANAMO BAY, Cuba - More than 600 al Qaeda and Taliban
suspects imprisoned here are being interrogated by "Tiger Teams" during
sessions that last as long as 16 hours, military officials say.
Commentary
"The deeper issue with civilian contractors in a situation like the Abu Ghraib prison is overall accountability -- how they fit into the chain of command."
Night kourt
"It was when the night-shift crew came on duty that the terrible things happened to Sabber and six other Iraqis in solitary confinement cells at Abu Ghraib prison last fall."
Soldier photographed with detainees is a 'scapegoat,' family insists
WASHINGTON -- "Until last week, a photograph of Spec. Lynndie England hung on the wall of honor at her local Wal-Mart."
Insider tells of 'cooks, truck drivers' used to interrogate
"Speaking to The Guardian, Torin Nelson, who served as a military intelligence officer at Guantanamo Bay before moving to Abu Ghraib as a private contractor last year, blamed the abuses on a failure of command in US military intelligence and too much reliance on private firms."
Debate on military contractors heats up
"The Army is much smaller than in the past," Tallman said. "When you run out of soldiers and they don't have an expertise, one way to get that capability on the battlefield is to contract it."
Different spanks for different ranks...
"The officers in command are getting letters of reprimand. Graner and the others are being threatened with court-martials (sic) for following orders, which is an outrage..."
Commentary
"Abu Ghraib military prison is 50 kilometres west of Baghdad. What happened there between October and December last year was known right up the US military's chain of command for five months. The Pentagon kept the lid on the scandal until nine days ago."
It's called command influence...and it's impermissible
"Usually, command influence is a rather subtle affair," said Jonathan Turley, a constitutional law professor at George Washington University who has represented defendants in military court. "This is screaming it from a mountaintop."
JAG Hunter bullet: Newsflash for former JAG Noon - The people who run U.S. military trials are the same people who run U.S. military prisons
"[Former JAG] Gregory Noon, Programme Officer, US Institute of Peace, said: "The military justice system is an outstanding system. If I was an accused who was innocent, I would want to be in the military system. If I was an accused who was guilty, I would not want to be in the military justice system."
Release call over abuse scandal
"Also, in light of the recent revelations about the treatment of prisoners in Iraq, Guantanamo Bay is a place that's not open to any scrutiny at all."
Two Guantanamo guards punished for prisoner abuse
"Military officials yesterday said the incidents, which involved Army reservists quarreling with angry prisoners, occurred more than a year ago..."
Bush stands behind Rumsfeld
"...Mr. Bush said the tenets of democracy — the rule of law and the constitutional guarantee that suspects are innocent until proven guilty — must be adhered to as the investigation moves forward."
Kourts-martial TV?
"It emerged last night that military commanders are pushing for televised courts martial of soldiers accused of abusing prisoners to be held in Iraq within weeks to try to restore shattered Arab faith in US justice and democracy."
The Military Extraterritorial Jurisdiction Act
"...the Defense Department has already referred one civilian case for possible investigation."
Commentary
"...the very effort to ensure the fairness of prosecutions under the Uniform Code of Military Justice depends on a principle that contributes to the protracted and confidential nature of such prosecutions: preventing command interference with the proceedings."
Remember Army Cpl. Gary Shafto
US ARMY REPORT ON IRAQI PRISONER ABUSE
By Maj. Gen. Antonio M. Taguba
JAG Hunter bullet: THIRTY FIVE CRIMINAL INVESTIGATIONS!
"...this is only one among 35 criminal investigations into specific cases of possible mistreatment of detainees begun by the Army in the past 18 months."
JAG Hunter bullet: When? When last year?
"Last year, four soldiers from the 320th accepted demotions and less-than-honorable discharges to avoid courts-martial on charges they had beaten Iraqi prisoners at Camp Bucca."
JAG Hunter bullet: Congressman Buyer...it's called willful blindness!
"Buyer said he was surprised to learn that lawyers were not present at the joint interrogation facility. He compared the presence of lawyers to having a school principal in a classroom – their role is to make sure the rules are followed."
Kourt-martial in Kuwait
"Capt. Leo V. Merck, 32, was referred for court-martial for allegedly taking the nude photos and downloading them onto his government-issued laptop computer last fall."
Bush vows justice in Iraq jail scandal
"...an Army soldier was court-martialed and dismissed from service after he shot and killed an Iraqi prisoner who was throwing rocks. He did not serve jail time."
Commentary
"...we’re supposed to be the good guys, remember? Our declared intent was to make things better in Iraq."
JAG Hunter bullet: Question for the "JAY - DETT" folks: Just exactly what is your jurisdiction?
"JDET is also charged with cooperation with civilian law enforcement to ease the communication between various agencies, said JDET Agent Wendi Zook. Previously, jurisdictional boundaries prevented the free exchange of information, she said."
Rumsfeld to go before Senate on prison abuse scandal
"I should have known about the pictures and the report," the President said.
Commentary
We've seen pictures taken by soldiers who were so unconcerned that they brought them to be processed as if they were souvenirs -- "here's what I did in the war, kids."
"...the largest single narcotics seizure in the Department of Defense history." More courts-martial follow
"A former airman stationed at Moody Air Force Base has been sentenced to 10 years in military prison..."
NJP at Hill AFB
"A senior airman from the 388th Aircraft Maintenance Squadron violated Articles 89 and 92 of the UCMJ by being disrespectful to a commissioned officer..."
Prisoner abuse at Gitmo...
"...an Air Force reserve staff sergeant was accused of using pepper spray on a detainee. The officer said he felt threatened and was acquitted of the charges."
U.S. Abuse of Iraqi Prisoners Threatens American Image Abroad
"U.S. officials have launched a major public relations campaign to counter images of U.S. soldiers abusing Iraqi prisoners at a notorious detention facility near Baghdad."
Sailor stationed in Bahrain pleads guilty to assault charge
"In a special court-martial Sunday, Petty Officer 3rd Class Jamie H. Lindsey also was reduced in rank to E-1, said Cmdr. Jamie Graybeal, 5th Fleet spokesman."
Rumsfeld stays, Bush says
"Secretary Rumsfeld is a really good secretary of Defense," [President] Bush said..."
Rumsfeld Pledges to Take All Actions Needed at Abu Ghraib"
"...U.S. military personnel will be pursued properly under the Uniform Code of Military Justice."
Prisoner abuse alleged at a third detention camp...
"...a Canadian civilian has filed a lawsuit claiming he was tortured by U.S. troops at the Camp Bucca detention center in southern Iraq..."
Rumsfeld in a World of Hurt
"White House aides, however, said Bush made it clear to Rumsfeld that he was displeased over not learning about the pictures of U.S. soldiers posing with hooded or naked Iraqi prisoners until the images aired on national television."
Military Extraterritorial Jurisdiction Act of 2000
"The law, introduced five years ago by Sen. Jeff Sessions, R-Ala., subjects civilians to legal penalties back home if they commit a crime while accompanying the American military overseas."
Fishing boat caper update...
US forces killed prisoners
"The Pentagon has revealed a US soldier and a CIA interrogator killed prisoners in Iraq and Afghanistan, and that at least 20 other deaths or assaults are under investigation in probes that have now been widened to include Guantanamo Bay, where two Australians are held."
Fears on tactics in Cuba
"I think it was shocking that it was admitted that the interrogations were done in a manner so that evidence that might help prove innocence was not documented," Major Mori told The Australian.
Security forces provide protection on, off Bagram
"...a newly created 455th ESFS tactical security element provides cover for Air Force Office of Special Investigations agents in the field. The agents conduct counterintelligence missions and weapons searches, and they apprehend suspected anti-coalition forces."
Aides: Bush upset with Rumsfeld on prison
"...the president did not appreciate that no one told him about the pictures of U.S. soldiers posing with hooded or naked Iraqi prisoners until the images aired on national television."
Army agency is placed in awkward position of investigating its own
"the personal journal of one of the military police reservists criminally charged in the case names two agents of the Army Criminal Investigation Command who he claims witnessed or encouraged abuse."
JAG Hunter point of order: An Article 32 hearing is not a court-martial.
"Westmoreland's own Sgt. 1st Class James H. Williams was arraigned last week, entering pleadings of not guilty to charges of armed robbery and dereliction of duty while serving in Iraq one year ago. An Article 32 court martial trial (sic) is scheduled to begin in Fort Campbell, Kentucky on July 12, 2004."
A "scope of abuse" to include the custodial death of Army Cpl. Gary Shafto
Implicated in Iraq scandal: Fayette reservist faces potential court-martial
"Charles A. Graner Jr., 35, of 52 Johnson Ave., Uniontown, who works as a state prison guard in civilian life, since 1997 has been accused three times of abusing his former wife, Staci, and their two children, according to Fayette County Court records."
Pennsylvania man let superiors know of mistreatment
"Spc. Joseph M. Darby, 24, of Corriganville, was credited by a member of the Army's Criminal Investigation Division with slipping an anonymous note under a division officer's door..."
CIA accused of link to Iraq prison torture
Commentary
"The practice of arbitrary imprisonment ha[s] been in all ages [one of]the favorite and most formidable instruments of tyranny," wrote Alexander Hamilton more than 200 years ago. His words are as true now as they were then.
Iraq prisoners faced 'sadistic' abuses
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - "Iraqi prisoners faced numerous "sadistic, blatant and wanton criminal abuses" by U.S. soldiers, including sodomy and beatings, according to a U.S. Army report quoted by the New Yorker magazine."
Sadistic soldiers are criminals, says US army
They are detailed in a confidential US Army report which says the detainees were subjected to "sadistic, blatant and wanton criminal abuses".
Remember Army Cpl. Gary Shafto
US ARMY REPORT ON IRAQI PRISONER ABUSE
By Maj. Gen. Antonio M. Taguba
Remember Army Cpl. Gary Shafto
JAG Hunter bullet: Press reports (some linked below) tell us an unnamed U.S. Army soldier stood before a secret court-martial held September 2003 in Iraq. The soldier was convicted in the shooting death (described as "excessive force") of an Iraqi prisoner. The guard was reduced in rank and discharged from the Army...but did no prison time.
Ramstein airmen face courts-martial on indecent assault charges
KAISERSLAUTERN, Germany — "Two Ramstein Air Base airmen face courts-martial this month on charges of indecent assault stemming from an incident in a base dormitory."
MARINE SENTENCED IN EAST TN ONLINE CHILD SEX CASE
"A federal judge in Greeneville has sentenced a former Marine to 60 months in prison in a child sex sting."
Torture commonplace, say inmates' families
"The Americans are driving people into the arms of the Maqawama [resistance]," he said. "We now look back at Saddam's era with nostalgia," he added. "He was a good leader. There was security. We hope he comes back."
Army press release: No senior commanding officers face courts-martial
"As of May 4, six Abu Ghraib MPs have had criminal charges preferred against them for trail by courts martial under the Uniform Code of Military Justice. At least six others Soldiers have received letters of reprimand from a general officer. Two senior leaders responsible for the security and interrogation of detainees have been relieved of their duties..."
Guard commander faces court martial for nude photos of female soldiers
Walnut Creek, California-AP -- "A former National Guard commander has reportedly been charged with photographing female U-S soldiers showering at the same Iraqi prison that's the center of an abuse scandal."
MP says his whole unit getting bad rap for Baghdad prison incident
"Only a few individuals are believed responsible for the prisoner abuse."
JAG Hunter bullet #1: The U.S. Army held a secret court-martial last September, outside the U.S., according to this and AP reports.
"...one soldier was convicted of murder in the military justice system for shooting a prisoner to death in September last year at a detention centre in Iraq..."
Military lawyers attack Guantánamo tribunals
"The uniformed lawyers have been especially forceful, not only in asserting their clients' innocence but also in denouncing the military tribunal system as inherently unfair."
JAG Hunter bullet: What happened to Army Corporal Gary Shafto?
"5/30/2002
I appologize for not keeping this sight up to date...It's been a long time. It breaks my heart and soul to have to update with the following news:
On 3/14/2002 My Husband, Corporal Gary L. Shafto, was found dead in his cell in Ft Leavenworth Disciplinary Barracks. I do not have the energy or heart to go into details...it's been 2 1/2 months, and still have a very hard time writing about it. I receive regular emails from people after they have been exposed to and read this sight. I'm still receiving emails saying things to the effect of proving his innocence and bringing him home. People have been reading this sight thinking he is still alive. It breaks my heart everytime I get an encouraging email to continue fighting and bring him home. Well, I have brought him home, but not the way it was supposed be. It should have been a big welcome home party with friends and family, with balloons, streamers and welcome home signs. Instead he was brought home covered by the United States Flag, with a 21 gun salute and TAPS playing in the background. I have no more case to fight...three weeks after his death, I received notification from the Army Court of Appeals stating that the motion to drop all the charges and dismiss the case was granted. Alot that does now that my soulmate is dead...even more so, dead at the hands of the military, the USDB, and their guards. Please keep on eye on this sight...I promise you, there will be LOTS more to write and inform you of. Trust me on this... the fight is FAR from over!"
JAG Hunter bullet: Remember Army Cpl. Gary Shafto! CRIMINALLY INVESTIGATE HIS DEATH!!
Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld earlier condemned abuses of Iraqi prisoners by U.S. soldiers as "totally unacceptable and un-American..."
More Iraqis Allege Abuse by U.S. Military
"Some Iraqis say Abu Ghraib is something of a sanctuary compared with what happens in other U.S.-run prisons around the country."
Local corrections officer faces court martial for abusing Iraqi prisoners
"...soldiers who are facing charges include Graner, Staff Sgt. Ivan "Chip" Frederick, Spec. Megan M. Ambuhl, Sgt. Javal S. Davis, Spec. Sabrina D. Harman and Spec. Jeremy C. Sivits. The seventh suspect, Private Lynndie England, was reassigned to Fort Bragg, N.C., after becoming pregnant."
Editorial
"The accused perpetrators ---- and it appears the number involved is growing ---- deserve to be investigated, charged if guilty, tried and duly punished so fast as to warn such wrongdoers they'll face a long, long incarceration to reflect on their wanton criminal abuses."
Excerpts From Prison Inquiry
What I found particularly disturbing in her testimony was [Bgen. Karpinski's] complete unwillingness to either understand or accept that many of the problems inherent in the 800th MP Brigade were caused or exacerbated by poor leadership and the refusal of her command to both establish and enforce basic standards and principles among its soldiers…"
Army report documents mistreatment of Iraqi prisoners
"The investigation recommends reprimands and disciplinary action for a dozen officers and senior noncommissioned officers on charges ranging from lack of leadership and failure to take proper disciplinary action to the negligent discharge of weapons and drunkenness -- not all related to the abuse of prisoners."
JAG Hunter bullet: To Senator Hagel, YES! There is and has been a very serious problem with military commanders...and had Congressmen like you been paying closer attention (think oversight), well this whole travesty might just have been avoided.
"There is a bigger issue here,'' Hagel said today on NBC's Today. "Was there an environment, a culture that not only condoned this, but encouraged this kind of behavior? We need to look well beyond just the soldier. Who was in charge? Was there a breakdown in command here?"
A good primer on the topic of unlawful command influence..."
"...unlike civilian courts, "the military justice system does work within a hierarchy and is susceptible in ways that are unique to the views and desires of people in positions of authority," according to Eugene R. Fidell, a Washington attorney who has taught military justice at Yale."
This could become very interesting...
"[Contractors] could, however, be brought to justice under the U.S. Uniform Code of Military Justice for breaking military rules "in a time of war." The military code says that those serving with or accompanying an armed force in the field may be tried by a military court."
A run for cover...
"...we have absolutely no information on any improper activity" by CACI personnel."
Draft on the drawing board...
"In line with today's needs, the Selective Service System's structure, programs and activities should be re-engineered toward maintaining a national inventory of American men and, for the first time, women, ages 18 through 34..."
U.S. Army Reprimands Six for Iraq Prisoner Abuse
"The alleged abuses were said to have involved around 20 prisoners and took place in November and December last year."
Official: CIA Not Involved in Abu Ghraib Abuses
"I know of no CIA officers involved in the abuses which are now so famously described," the official told Reuters."
Another cover-up?
"The allegation by Brig. Gen. Janis Karpinski, the former head of US military prisons in Iraq, is the first hint that the "patterns of abuse" (as she described it) could go farther than originally expected."
U.S. Army Reprimands 6 for Abusing Iraqi Prisoners (Update1)
"The reprimands are private and details of the names or ranks of the officers won't be released, Kimmitt said in an interview with Bloomberg News. A seventh person received a lesser letter of criticism over the same incident. Six other soldiers are being criminally investigated for involvement in the alleged abuse."
JAG Hunter bullet: We don't run our courts-martial any better than we run our military prisons. And Counselor Babbin fails to mention we must hold these military trials right here at home.
"We have to handle this right. The courts martial should be open to any media that want to attend — even al-Jazeera — and the perpetrators' names dragged through the mud."
JAG Hunter bullet: Six Article 15s...Next: Article 32s and six probable courts-martial. These hearings must be brought home and open to the public.
"On the orders of Lt. Gen. Ricardo Sanchez (search), commander of U.S. forces in Iraq, six of the soldiers — all officers and noncommissioned officers — have received the most severe level of administrative reprimand in the U.S. military, the official said on condition of anonymity."
Trash or truth? We'll find out soon enough.
The military industrial congressional complex...not just above the law but beyond its reach.
"There are up to 20,000 private contractors operating in Iraq, carrying out military roles from logistics and local army training to guarding installations and convoys."
Marine gets 10 year term in arms case
"Some people compared [Marine Cpl. Kevin J. Lambert Jr.] to Klinger on MASH."
Command Errors Aided Iraq Abuse, Army Has Found
"The report and other documents reveal that Army investigators found a virtual collapse of the command structure in the prison..."
Soldier's diary details wider abuse at prison
"If true, the 37-year-old reservist's statements are a devastating indictment of a U.S. military that toppled a brutal dictator only to be accused of torturing Iraqis in a prison, Abu Ghraib, notorious for similar and worse horrors during Saddam Hussein's rule."
JAG Hunter bullet: What was the chain of this command?
"In its most chilling lines, Frederick's journal describes the death in November of an Iraqi described as an "OGA prisoner" - an abbreviation for "Other Government Agency," military jargon for the CIA and other nonmilitary agencies."
Your tax dollars at work...$31 million's worth!!
"Next week, officials will gather at the U.S. Navy base on this parched crescent of land in the Caribbean to commemorate the opening of the new facility, known as Camp 5."
Annals of National Security
"A fifty-three-page report, obtained by The New Yorker, written by Major General Antonio M. Taguba and not meant for public release, was completed in late February. Its conclusions about the institutional failures of the Army prison system were devastating."
JAG Hunter bullet: West Point football players, when heading for a game at Michie Stadium, slap a plaque quoting World War II Joint Chiefs of Staff Chairman Gen. George Marshall (a VMI grad) as saying: "I need an officer for a secret and dangerous mission. I want a West Point football player."
"A 6-foot-3 offensive tackle for the Army Black Knights football team, Conliffe is still allowed to attend class and perform his regular duties as a cadet, a spokesman said. He has not been detained. His name, however, appeared to have been removed from the online version of the football team's roster."
JAG Hunter bullet: The "pattern of abuse" includes the custodial death of U.S. Army Coporal Gary Shafto, Fort Leavenworth, 14 March 2002.
"The pattern of abuse goes beyond Iraq. A recent report by Human Rights Watch described similar treatment of prisoners at Baghram and other U.S.-run detention centers in Afghanistan. The deaths of at least two prisoners in American custody in Afghanistan were officially declared homicides by U.S. military doctors who performed autopsies on the victims."
Out of Lynnwood, WA.
"Scheduled is an Article 32 hearing under the Uniform Code of Military Justice. It is expected to start May 12 and last two days."
West Point - USMA
"A West Point cadet has been accused of taking photographs of women in varying stages of undress and posting them on the prestigious academy's computer system."
JAG Hunter bullet: The business of America has become...Government."
JAG Hunter bullet: Abuses and outrageous conduct of military personnel profiled in today's headlines is conduct known about, sanctioned, approved, and till now kept secret under the advice and counsel of military attorneys: JAGs
U.S., Britain reeling over prisoner abuse
"The top U.S. military spokesman in Iraq, Army Brig. Gen. Mark Kimmitt, made no attempt Saturday to defend conditions at Abu Ghraib"
JAG Hunter bullet: What happened to Army Corporal Gary Shafto?
"5/30/2002
I appologize for not keeping this sight up to date...It's been a long time. It breaks my heart and soul to have to update with the following news:
On 3/14/2002 My Husband, Corporal Gary L. Shafto, was found dead in his cell in Ft Leavenworth Disciplinary Barracks. I do not have the energy or heart to go into details...it's been 2 1/2 months, and still have a very hard time writing about it. I receive regular emails from people after they have been exposed to and read this sight. I'm still receiving emails saying things to the effect of proving his innocence and bringing him home. People have been reading this sight thinking he is still alive. It breaks my heart everytime I get an encouraging email to continue fighting and bring him home. Well, I have brought him home, but not the way it was supposed be. It should have been a big welcome home party with friends and family, with balloons, streamers and welcome home signs. Instead he was brought home covered by the United States Flag, with a 21 gun salute and TAPS playing in the background. I have no more case to fight...three weeks after his death, I received notification from the Army Court of Appeals stating that the motion to drop all the charges and dismiss the case was granted. Alot that does now that my soulmate is dead...even more so, dead at the hands of the military, the USDB, and their guards. Please keep on eye on this sight...I promise you, there will be LOTS more to write and inform you of. Trust me on this... the fight is FAR from over!"
JAG Hunter bullet: Who was General Karpinski's staff JAG? And who was the JAG advising the intel folks?
"General Karpinski said that while the reservists involved were "bad people" and deserved punishment, she suspected they were acting with the encouragement, if not at the direction, of military intelligence units that ran the special cellblock used for interrogation."
President condemns abuse of prisoners
"In the past, Gen. Karpinski has defended the prison against claims from freed prisoners and human rights groups that prisoners were abused, saying Iraqis were treated "humanely and fairly."
Bush's "deep disgust" at abuse of Iraqis
"[President] Bush blamed a "few people" for the abuses and defended the conduct of U.S. occupation forces as the White House scrambled to head off a backlash in Iraq and across the Arab world."
Linked at ORBUSMAX.COM
"...abuses at the Abu Gharib prison [Baghdad] were detailed in a confidential Army report as far back as February and were more cruel that just humiliating the detainees."
Abuse of Iraqi detainee by two Marine guards alleged at second prison: Camp White Horse detention center (outside Nasiriyah, Iraq).
"Trial dates have been set for two Marines accused of abusing an Iraqi prisoner who died while in their custody last year...Maj. Clarke A. Paulus and Sgt. Gary P. Pittman face courts-martial in the death of Nagem Sadoon Hatab..."
Interesting counterpoint...all things considered. Don't forget, May 1 is "Law Day."
"Certain other societies may respect the rule of force -- we respect the rule of law."
-- President John F. Kennedy
"Our example has inspired country after country to throw off the chains of tyranny and adopt democratic reforms."
Photos show US military police abusing prisoners
"SHOCKING photographs showing United States military police torturing and humiliating Iraqi prisoners emerged yesterday, part of the evidence behind an investigation that has led to 17 soldiers, including a brigadier general, being removed from duty."
Commentary: POW abuse
..."the story is one not only of depravity but also of colossal stupidity. How could these Americans not know that in addition to persecuting the detainees in gross violation of the Geneva Conventions, they would subject the already fragile US occupation of Iraq to global condemnation?"
Officer: U.S. troops untrained in Geneva Convention
"...the [U.S.] military should investigate whether the soldiers' superiors ordered or tolerated the abuse."
Guantanamo Warden to Oversee U.S. Iraq Prison Rules
BAGHDAD (Reuters) - "A former head of the U.S. Guantanamo Bay jail in Cuba has been sent to Iraq to ensure proper prison conditions, after photos apparently showed U.S. soldiers abusing Iraqi prisoners, the military said on Friday."
Guantanamo Bay chief takes over after shameful jail abuse
"In January, after a soldier tipped off investigators about abuses at Abu Ghraib, General Sanchez suspended 17 soldiers and ordered separate criminal and administrative investigations."
Inside the Ring
"The Rumsfeld crowd has a history of eschewing congressional staffers for top Pentagon jobs..."Hill staffers bring baggage..."
The clueless Congress includes: Sens. Christopher J. Dodd of Connecticut, Jack Reed of Rhode Island, Patrick Leahy of Vermont, Jon Corzine of New Jersey and Russell Feingold of Wisconsin.
"The senators asked the GAO to address the private contractors' liabilities, including whether they are subject to the Uniform Code of Military Justice..."
Brigadier General Janis Karpinski would be only the second Army flag officer court-martialed in the last half century.
WASHINGTON: "Several army officers including a brigadier general, face a court martial for mistreating and humiliating Iraqi prisoners. Seventeen soldiers had been removed from duty in Iraq last month but the details of this action were not until CBS 60 Minutes II revealed them on Wednesday evening."
Camera found in female sailors' shower
"Navy investigators are searching for the person who hid a small wireless video camera above a shower stall for female sailors aboard the San Diego-based command ship Coronado..."
Schofield soldier charged in Iraqi civilian's death
"Pfc. Edward L. Richmond Jr., 20, was charged April 5 with the unjustified shooting of an Iraqi male on Feb. 28."
Schofield soldier charged in death of Iraqi civilian
"On April 8, Pfc. Edward L. Richmond Jr., 20, was charged with one count of unpremeditated murder under article 118 of the Uniform Code of Military Justice. Richmond is assigned to the headquarters company, 1st Battalion, 27th Infantry regiment."
Recruiting Hit-men? Gives tag lines like "Be all you can be" and "An Army of One" entirely new meaning...
Tech. Sgt. Rodney E. Wells, a recruiter at Lackland AFB, was in military court Wednesday at an Article 32 hearing, the military equivalent of a pretrial hearing and a grand jury investigation...Wells was charged March 12 with solicitation to commit murder, soliciting a civilian to commit prostitution and conspiracy to commit assault."
U.S. soldiers accused of abusing Iraqi prisoners
"U.S. soldiers at a prison outside Baghdad have been accused of forcing Iraqi prisoners into acts of sexual humiliation and other abuses in order to make them talk, according to officials and others familiar with the charges."
Army Corporal Gary Shafto
"5/30/2002
I appologize for not keeping this sight up to date...It's been a long time. It breaks my heart and soul to have to update with the following news:
On 3/14/2002 My Husband, Corporal Gary L. Shafto, was found dead in his cell in Ft Leavenworth Disciplinary Barracks. I do not have the energy or heart to go into details...it's been 2 1/2 months, and still have a very hard time writing about it. I receive regular emails from people after they have been exposed to and read this sight. I'm still receiving emails saying things to the effect of proving his innocence and bringing him home. People have been reading this sight thinking he is still alive. It breaks my heart everytime I get an encouraging email to continue fighting and bring him home. Well, I have brought him home, but not the way it was supposed be. It should have been a big welcome home party with friends and family, with balloons, streamers and welcome home signs. Instead he was brought home covered by the United States Flag, with a 21 gun salute and TAPS playing in the background. I have no more case to fight...three weeks after his death, I received notification from the Army Court of Appeals stating that the motion to drop all the charges and dismiss the case was granted. Alot that does now that my soulmate is dead...even more so, dead at the hands of the military, the USDB, and their guards. Please keep on eye on this sight...I promise you, there will be LOTS more to write and inform you of. Trust me on this... the fight is FAR from over!"
What did Army MPs do to Coporal Gary Shafto at Fort Leavenworth in March 2002?
"A lot of us have known about the arrests and the court-martial, but everyone knew to keep their mouths shut," said the woman, who spoke on condition of anonymity for fear of hurting her relative's military career.
TREATMENT OF PRISONERS
"Of the six people reported in March to be facing preliminary charges, three have been recommended for court martial trials..."
TV shows US military police torturing Baghdad prisoners
"The US army announced that six members of the 800th Military Police Brigade would face court-martial over abuse of Iraqi prisoners at Abu Ghraib. The charges included cruelty and maltreatment, dereliction of duty, assault and forced acts of indecency."
Office of Special Investigations
"The office plans to integrate MetaCarta’s Geographic Text Search tool with its Threat and Local Observation Notice system to show a geospatial picture to analysts of potential or suspected terrorist activities, according to a company release. TALON is a program that encourages Air Force officials and citizens to report possible terrorist planning activities they observe."